Knicks employees face mandatory training after clicking fake ring email

Two Madison Square Garden employees had to attend a mandatory cybersecurity class after clicking a link in a fake email. The message was part of a test sent by the New York Knicks organization in late September. The New York Times reported the details on Thursday, citing team sources.

The email subject line read, "Congratulations, your Employee Championship Ring is here." It asked recipients to choose between two ring designs by clicking a provided link. The offer was not entirely implausible for staff members. Joe Vardon, a senior NBA writer for The Athletic, noted that most NBA team employees receive rings, even if they are less elaborate than the player versions.

The test was designed to address concerns held by owner James Dolan. Dolan also owns the New York Rangers and Madison Square Garden. He has expressed growing worry about cybersecurity risks within the organization. The mandatory training was intended to help staff identify suspicious messages in the future.

Simulated phishing emails are a standard practice at large companies. These tests often mimic messages from the employer but include subtle clues. For example, Condé Nast, the parent company of Ars Technica, sends test messages from an address with the misspelled domain "condenast.com." It is unclear if the Knicks email contained similar obvious red flags.

The timing of the email added a layer of complexity for the recipients. The Knicks had just won their first NBA championship in more than 50 years. A free ring offer tied to that milestone would naturally catch the attention of staff. The offer carried extra weight because of the recent victory.

The incident also followed a separate ring-related event on Tuesday. The team raised its first league championship banner since 1973. Assistant coaches were handed boxes that did not contain rings. They are expected to receive their rings at a later date. This sequence of events made the fake email a particularly confusing surprise for some employees.